Government Relations Activity

AMSRS and AMSRO under their joint collaboration, the Research Industry Council of Australia (RICA) are funding the following government relations activities:

a) ACMA Telecommunications Industry Standard 2007 Revised

The revised AMCA Telecommunications Industry Standard 2007 came into effect November 3. The Standard stipulates regulatory requirements on market and social researchers who conduct telephone surveys in relation to calling times, disclosing information and responding to a respondent’s request for information. It also acknowledges the distinction between research and telemarketers (despite the name) which is a positive step forward.

The Department for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has released a discussion paper on the future of the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND). Under the RICA umbrella, AMSRO and AMSRS have been working across this issue, meeting with the Department in Canberra earlier this year and engaging the expertise of Kraeb Gavin Anderson and Minter Ellison Lawyers.

RICA continues to drive the need for market and social research companies to access de-identified data from the Integrated Public Number Database. The discussion paper is available on the Department’s website at: www.dbcde.gov.au/IPND

Earlier this week RICA submitted a response to the Privacy and FOI Policy Branch regarding the issues paper: A Commonwealth Statutory Cause of Action for Serious Invasion of Privacy, one of 295 recommendations for reform made by the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) in relation to the Federal Privacy Act (1988).

RICA urged the government to take into account the potential for adverse impacts on:

the market and social research industry; and

the broader public interest of facilitating the production of high quality market and social research data.

The submission highlighted the industry’s strict codes of practice standards and the important role market and social research plays Australia’s economy and in informing government decisions.